Leading Planned Change - 1 The Episcopal Diocese of N. California’s Congregational Leadership Conference on Leading Planned Change... A look at your readiness

Leading Planned Change - 1

The Episcopal Diocese of N. California’sCongregational Leadership Conference on Leading Planned Change . . .

A look at your readiness for change, your congregation’s readiness, and the basic steps to keep in mind

Copyright © 2011 CREDO Institute Inc., et al. All rights reserved.


Bible Study on Exodus 13:17-22

Observation

• Who are the characters involved?

• Where is this located?

• What has happened before? What is happening now?

• When is this taking place?


INTERPRETATION

• What catches your attention?

• What questions come to mind?

• What concerns you or brings you up short?

• What symbols or metaphors are present?

• What explanations are provided?

• Why is this happening?


APPLICATION

• What might this mean for you?

• What might God be saying to God’s people?

• How might this apply in a situation you are currently facing?

• What word of hope, faith, encouragement, love, peace or joy do you hear?


You and Change

Before beginning, reflect upon your own:

• Resourcefulness

• Adaptability

• Sense of optimism

• Sense of confidence

• Sense of adventure

• Tolerance for ambiguity

• Passion/drive


Change Readiness Assessment

• Locate the stapled handout

• Circle the number for each of the 35 items on both sides that reflects you best

• You can pull the pages apart

• Write the corresponding number from each item on the separate score sheet

• Put your total for each trait next to the description on the final sheet


• Is this an accurate picture of you? Why or why not?

• What challenges you when experiencing change and transition?

• When have you been part of a successful change effort? What did you do? What was the outcome?


Looking at Congregational Readiness

• History of dealing with change

• Leadership commitment

• Breadth of support

• Existence of feedback system

• Number of other changes occurring


The Nature of the Proposed Change

“Change often happens most easily if it can be shown to be embedded in long-held beliefs, values, traditions, rather than being just a total assault on everything everybody thought they were and wanted.”

Drew Gilpin Faust


Leading Change Requires Managing Both

• The change itself (“the act or instance of making or becoming different”) and

• The transition (“a passing … from one place, state, condition, etc. to another”)

Revised & Updated Illustrated Oxford Dictionary, New York, NY, DK Publishing, 1998


Many leaders fail to realize the importance of managing transition, believing that if the structural, technical or financial changes go well, the human transitions will take care of themselves. But unless people can make the transitions that changes require, those changes will simply not work.

William Bridges “Getting Them Through the Wilderness: A Guide to Transition”


If you don’t know where you are going, any road will get you there!

• What are you leaving behind?

What are you taking on the journey?

• How do you visualize your destination?


“It is a terrible thing to look over your shoulder when you are trying to lead – and find no one there.”

Franklin Delano Roosevelt


How Change Threatens:

• Competence: the confidence that we know how things are done

• Coordination: the way we are with one another in work and relationship

• Commitment: our willingness to keep going forward together


Individual Behavior

• The transition can take a long time…

• For behavior to become habit, it must follow an attitude change.


Group Behavior

Congregations are made up of individuals, each with their own knowledge, attitudes and behavior patterns.

Gaining acceptance of change – getting everyone across the bridge – in a congregation is more complicated.


Learn from Moses – Getting Started

• Get people on board

• Build on the best of the past

• Find partners and allies


Get People On Board


Focus on the Vision

“You don’t lead by pointing and telling people where to go. You lead by going to that place and making a case.”

Ken Kesey


Build on the Best of the Past

“… part of moving through change effectively is making it seem seamless, or as seamless as possible, with what has gone on before …”

Drew Gilpin Faust


Find Partners and Allies

• Positional authority

• Expertise

• Credibility

• Leadership ability


More From Moses – Once You Are Underway

• Build structure

• Look for quick “wins”

• Visit the campfires

• “Pitch tent” when needed

• Reinforce the new


Build Structure

“Management works in the system; leadership works on the system.”

Stephen R. Covey


Look for “Quick Wins”

• Plan for success

• Create miracles


Visit the Campfires

Listen

Communicate

LISTEN

COMMUNICATE


Know When to Pitch Tent

“At the command of the Lord the Israelites would set out, and at the command of the Lord they would camp.”

Numbers 9:18


Reinforce the New

• Consistently model the new way of being

• Change behavior to change attitude

• Incorporate new leadership

Documents

Leading Planned Change - 1 The Episcopal Diocese of N. California’s Congregational Leadership Conference on Leading Planned Change... A look at your readiness